340 K Member ??

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My 71 340 Demon parts car has the washer. Another /6 parts car with a V8 k-frame does not have it, must of came from a 318 car. Does anyone know what the differance is? I was planning on using the one without the washer because someone welded the sway bar bushing mounts to the k-frame of the 340 car. Thanks Warren
 
yellow68runner said:
wasn't 70 the last "dart" to have a 340 offered ?. . . . . . not counting the Dart sport :?:
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Yes, in the US, 1970 was the last year of the 340 Swinger. See AdamR's reply for the later Darts in Canada. In 1971-72 they became Demon 340's, 1973 Dart Sport 340, 1974-76 Dart Sport 360's. Never saw a 1976 360 Dart Sport or Duster in real life.
 
Yes, essentially 1970 was the last year for the 340 in the Dart Swinger but two dealerships up here in Western Canada pulled off a bit of coup when they convinced Chrysler head office to run a batch of sixty five '71's just for them. Then in '72, that order must have stayed in the 'head offices' heads, because they gave 2 dealerships 50+ of these stripped down performance hotrods for blowing out a bunch of inventory, just for them. But, yeah, get the full story here:

http://www.340swinger.org/tech/info7172.html
 
limelite70 said:
Does Anyone Have A Pic Of A 71 340 Dart.
Were These Made For Canada Only ????
Were There Only 75 Or So Made??
Thanks
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Well lookie here!
Just coming off a 340 Special high X 2. We just debuted the first restored '72 Swinger 340 Special up in Red Deer, Alberta (Western Canada) and just to the back of it at the show was a '71 C7 340 Special which is only the second to be restored a couple years ago (thanks Kevin and Derrick). There are a number in the works including mine (see the pic just to the left under my name), but because there are so few of them in existence, it's just a few! So, again, if you want more details, numbers and info, go to www.340swinger.org and check 'em out in more detail. Thx. Cliff

70_71_72_at_debut_med.jpg
 
Cool pictures. Its the first time I've seen a 72 Swinger 340. So they DO exist! Very nice.=P~
 
Forgot to mention, looked at my early big block K-frame and there is no washer there. Don't know what years it was from, 67-69?
 
Well, to add my three cents. My 71 340 Demon GSS has the washer, the K frame from the other 71 Demon 340 I parted out has it and it looks like this 70 Swinger that I just sold also has the washer. If you look at the pic it looks like you can just see the top of the washer. I think I remember seeing it when I took the pics.

Now, I'm pretty sure my 68 340 GTS does NOT have the washer. I think only one person here said they had a 69 340 car WITH the washer. That makes it seem that at some point late 69 they started doing this.
I'd like to see a comparison between the 318 and 340 k frames to see if there was any "beefing up" done to them. I never noticed any differences.
I can contribute at some point by taking better pics of the 340 K frame I have for sale.
My guess, the washer just meant the assembly was for a 340 car so the builders knew what to install coming down the line.

IMG_1658.jpg


IMG_2452.jpg
 
i got one on my 340 k frame i think back then thats how you used to idetify them
 
Interesting background on these. I'll bet the Canadian winters played havoc with the 65 sent up there on special order.
 
You don't know how right you are on the 'Canadian winter' thing!!! The Edmonton, Alberta (Crosstown) cars really took a $#*% kicking because it snows a lot more, thus more salt is put onto the streets, more than Regina, Saskatchewan (think Minot, North Dakota), just as cold tho. So, restoring one of these is a lot more work, and a fair bit more cash but all worth it in the end. Thanks for the interest - it's amazing what Chrysler and their dealers did with there line-ups - making for great stories and great cars. Cliff
 
'71 Duster 340 K does not have one. '71 Demon sizzler with factory ordered 340 suspension does not have one. The Duster was an original 340 car that I parted that was hit hard in the rear.
 
Could it be because of the engine colors? Seems like the earlier years there was no washer, and the 318 and 340's were different colors.

The later years, 318's and 340's were both blue and thereby possibly confused for one another as they came down the assembly like already mounted the the K member.

Maybe the washer was used to differentiate 318's from 340's in that respect?

Could it be, or is this a far fetched explanation?
 
Small Block said:
Must have been 70 models and up on the 340's. Don't ya like learnin even at our age?

Here's another one for ya. He's quite sure of this. The steering columns on the 71 and 72 dusters only have the key release knob on the under side of the column. My 72 duster dont have it. What's you guys findings on this one. We looked my field over and i don't have a car that has it in any of those years. This needs some research.
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:thumbup: Hey Small Block....This has turned out to be a great thread with a few still unanswered questions. 8)

I don't believe anyone has addressed your above comment on the "key release knob" yet? :dontknow:

Small Block said:
Further info has came to lite and that is the Trans Am model stuff came with the washer and the last two digits of the part number was stamped in the washer upside down. Can anyone confirm this?
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I will remember to check for parts #'s on the washer on my Demon.......It's not a T/A though. ;)


69swinger340391 said:
Could it be because of the engine colors? Seems like the earlier years there was no washer, and the 318 and 340's were different colors.

The later years, 318's and 340's were both blue and thereby possibly confused for one another as they came down the assembly like already mounted the the K member.

Maybe the washer was used to differentiate 318's from 340's in that respect?

Could it be, or is this a far fetched explanation?
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I thought the early 340 engine color was red in 68 & 69, then changed to orange in 70 & 71 and to blue in 72? It seems like the washers were used as early as 68 from this thread, but of course the x-members could have been changed in the last 40 years....:-s

Not far fetched at all, but still wondering about this?
 
I worked in an assembly plant for 31 years and maybe 5 or 6 of those were in the chassis department, frame line to be exact. Im thinking that since this seems to have begun all at once (in 1970) that the vendor for the K-members made a change to the dimensions during a model change over and the assembly plant didnt make a change to their tooling/fixtures OR vice versa. The washer could have been put there for a quick fix as a spacer/shim to correct the tooling/fixtures at the other end (assembly line). Being as this seems to be 340 engines only it could be that there was a certain operation to be done to that paticular model. Fixtures would be to hold something in place while a part was welded on, a hole drilled, an A arm held in place, etc etc and or maybe the hole in the washer was used for a "locator". This is my utmost professional educated guess LOL TYVM.
 
Yes, would be great if it continued especially to find out if there was a year ('69 or '70) or build date when this factory exercise was implemented. Also, it looks like it wasn't just one factory assembly line that did it because most of the Darts were built on the Windsor plant and the Dusters were pretty much Hamtramck – others? And, sounds like some E-Bodies might have got them – 340's and 440's?So, maybe the guys with E-Bodies could check and post their findings. Wonder if any B-Bodies got them. It all may somehow explain why?
 
my 508 Hamtramk built 69 swinger 340 does not have one. I believe they had this same discussion on the 69 1/2 6BBL registry and dont think they found the answer. My 329 Lynch Road built 69 1/2 6BBL does not have one.
 
Which B-bodies had the washers? You said the '69.5, so would that be 440+6 cars – super bees and RR's? Others?
 
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